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Two days before the 2012 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons made a move to acquire Charlotte swingman Corey Maggette for high-priced guard Ben Gordon and a future 1st round draft pick, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:
Detroit has traded Ben Gordon and a protected future first-round pick to Charlotte for Corey Maggette, league sources tell Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2012
For Detroit, deal to ship out Gordon saves them nearly $15 million on the final two years of his contract. Maggette has an expiring deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2012
A former 1st round pick back in 1999 out of Duke, the 32-year-old Maggette is the epitome of a journeyman, and has suited up in different uniform in each of the past three seasons (Golden State, Milwaukee, Charlotte). Though he is a career 16.2-point per game scorer and in pristine physical condition, Maggette's expiring contract is the real prize here for Joe Dumars and the upstart Pistons, as it offers a significant amount of flexibility heading into the draft and free agency. By miraculously stumbling into a willing taker for Gordon's albatross of a contract, Dumars looks to have found his bailout plan at the ideal time.
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